Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan has called for a new international airport in Sabah, saying Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s (KKIA) single runway is a major operational and economic risk.
“Sabah needs a new international airport. The relevant authorities must immediately undertake the necessary actions to build it, including identifying a suitable location for the new airport,” said Jeffrey in a statement here.
He said a serious weakness in Sabah’s critical infrastructure was laid bare on Sept 17 when KKIA temporarily suspended flight operations to allow repair and rectification works on its sole runway.
The closure affected at least 20 flights through delays, cancellations and diversions. It also disrupted hotels, airlines, tourism operators, traders, importers, exporters and investors who depend on reliable air connectivity.
“For Sabah, air connectivity is not a privilege or luxury. It is a daily necessity and the lifeline of our tourism, trade, investment, movement of people and overall economic development,” he said.
Visitor arrivals from China rose 25.5 per cent to 484,699 between January and July this year, compared with 386,217 in the same period in 2025.
Xiamen Airlines is scheduled to resume its direct Xiamen to Kota Kinabalu service on Sept 23, while a new direct flight from Matsuyama City, Japan, will begin from September.
Jeffrey said KKIA’s present designed capacity is nine million passengers annually, a level already exceeded in 2019 when the airport handled about 9.4 million passengers.
An upgrading project has been approved to raise capacity to 12 million passengers and provide additional facilities, but the airport will still depend on a single runway.
“More passengers and additional flights will place even greater pressure on the existing runway. Increasing terminal capacity without addressing this fundamental weakness is inadequate.
“The expanded capacity and additional facilities would be rendered meaningless whenever the sole runway has to be closed due to an emergency, security concerns, repair or rectification works, or any other unforeseen circumstances,” he said.
The KKIA is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport in terms of passenger traffic, and serves as Sabah’s principal gateway to Peninsular Malaysia, Asean and the rest of the world.
On the location, he said the Papar and Kimanis area should be seriously considered and evaluated as part of the feasibility and site selection process.
The final location, he said, must be determined through comprehensive technical, environmental, economic and accessibility studies that take into account Sabah’s long term development needs.
“In the meantime, the Government must do whatever is necessary to ensure that KKIA can continue operating safely, efficiently and without major disruption,” he said.
He added that this should include urgently examining the feasibility of building a second runway or adopting any other suitable interim solution.
He also said Sabah must never compromise its future development and economic aspirations by allowing its progress, prosperity and destiny to be determined by outside parties.
“Posturing behind slogans that have been mocked by netizens cannot substitute for a clear and forward-looking vision for Sabah,” he said.
“The Government must act now. Sabah cannot afford to wait for another shutdown or incident that could cause even greater disruption and economic losses,” he said.
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